We can make our lives on the road
by CrazyIKnowICanDo
Summary: Natalie and Henry can't cope in college, life is still stressful. Despite their doubts they decide to take their lives into their own hands, leaving everything they know behind. But how does it effect Dan and Dianna? Inspired by kerrigan and lowdermilk.
1. The proposal

Natalie sat at the front of the alter next to her cousin, whom she rarely spoke to and her cousins 2 year old daughter. She couldn't help but peer around, looking for the boy who calmed her nerves. Family events never settled well with Natalie. She could feel herself getting agitated as family members made small talk with her, asking her how college was going, asking about her boyfriend, then of course about her mother. "Is your mother coming today?" "How is your Dianne doing?" "Where is your mother"

"I don't know!" Natalie snapped a bit more harshly then she had meant too. People seemed to back off and return to their seats. A tall boy with scruffy curly hair fought his way through the crowd. Henry some how managed to make the smartest suit look like he had spent 24 hours on a half pipe, falling down each one after the other, but it somehow worked for him. For a second, Natalie's anxiety disappeared as her eyes were fixated on the boy who had turned up to a wedding wearing converse as dress shoes, but then she saw the urgency spread across her boyfriends face as he kneeled beside her bench were she was sitting. Her cousin had ran after the two year old dower girl, who could not keep still, so Natalie budged up so Henry could sit down. He grasped both her hands firmly and looked at her, as a smell spread across her face. She looked beautiful in her purple dress with flowery shoes. Her hair was curly and unruly like always, but it always looked beautiful, especially today as it was all pined up, hold together by many clips.

"Are you ok Natalie?" Was all he said, the panic still in his eyes as Natalie smiled at him tearing up.

"I'm fine Henry" She said, pulling her hand away and putting one on his face. "I just really don't want to be here" she whispered.

"I know, but i'm only over there, i'm sat next to your mom actually"

"She's here?"

"Yeah, she's sat on her own in her car. I asked her if she's coming in but she said she wanted to avoid the small talk." He paused as Natalie sighed. "She told me you can join her" He smirked.

"Did she seem…?" Natalie didn't even have to finish her sentence.

"She's calm. She rattled her meds at me as i walked over to her car, so…. Thats her sign for 'A Okay' Right"

Natalie let out a little laugh. "Yeah. Yeah ok. I just want to go home though." Henry kissed her head and stood up.

"I know Nat." He turned around to see Dan Goodman come to take his seat next to his daughter. Henry gave Natalie a knowing smile and went to take his seat.

Dan Goodman sat down next to his daughter without speaking. Neither of them looked at one another. Nat's cousin Jane sat down without 2 year old flower girl Kaya, who was getting ready to walk down the aisle. All was silent as they sat waiting for the ceremony to start. The music started to play and Natalie looked around for Henry. He was sat at the back of the room next to an old man Natalie did not recognise. A red headed women clumsily squeezed past the groomsmen who were about to make their appearance and runs taking her seat next to Henry. Dianna scans round the small room searching for Natalie and through the heads, they can just about make each other out.

It hits Natalie quick that this is the first time ever that her mother has seemed relieved and almost happy to see her. The music plays and the bride starts to walk down the aisle on the cheap rented hotel function room, towards to tacky registry desk in-between the canopy of flowers, the poor attempt at trying to make the ceremony look beautiful. Dianna makes brief eye contact with her sister who pretends she hasn't seen her and keeps on walking towards the front. The congratulating fake smile Dianna placed on her face vanishes, as she suddenly looks lost and looks towards Henry. Henry smiles politely at her and Dianna takes a deep breath and places her shoulder on Henry's head. The day already becoming to much for her.

The crowd's eyes are fixated on the bride as she meets her groom at the canopy. Everyones except Natalie's, who is still turned towards her mother and Henry.

"She's fine" Henry mouthes as Natalie nods, trying to concentrate back on the wedding.

The ceremony continues and the bride and groom begin to say their vows.

Dianna sits up once again to find the back of her husbands head. The husband she rarely sees now. Dianna left her home and family two years ago, but occasionally meets with her husband. They could spend two weeks living together, everything seeming normal, Natalie, who had decided to stay at home for college usually disappeared with Henry during these times. Dan always got his hopes up that this was it, she was back for good, but another few days would go by and then without warning, Dianna would pack up and disappear for another few weeks. This time was different though, it had been almost 9 months since they had last spoke. When Lauren's wedding was announced, the whole Goodman family were invited. Dianna had always been selfish and disgustingly jealous of Dianna. Illness meant attention, and Lauren liked the attention on her, even if it was negative. Dan was only there to see Dianna and Dianna for him. They both knew it.

Henry can't help but do the same, not being able to keep his eyes off the girl he would drop everything for. Natalie was about start her second year at college, where she was studying to become a music teacher. Natalie had worked so hard to get into college and got fantastic grades that got her in, however, when she started she realised that it wasn't everything she had hoped. Both Henry and Natalie hoped to find friends, they had each other, and that was enough, but sometimes they both needed to be reminded of how to have fun. There were of course occasions where they would have fun, but Henry was living in the middle of a divorce and with Natalie's issues, they seemed to spend most of their time consoling one another. Despite this, they still made each other happy and on many occasions, they would find themselves forgetting about what they were actually concerned about anyway. Henry would have also been going to his second year at college, that is until he dropped out. He hadn't told anyone yet and he was filled with fear and a hollow emptiness every time he thought about it. His family would be so disappointed, his dad would probably hit him, his extended family would talk behind his back, plus he had two older brothers to compete with. He knew he could get Natalie's understanding, but she was stressed enough and he didn't want to worry her. That and the fact that he felt an urge to cry every time he went to tell her, making him feel like a pathetic little boy. Both Henry and Natalie were not doing as well as they had hoped. Their grades seemed to be on the fall, with Natalie passing everything, but getting average grades in which would not get her a job, and with Henry failing tests and coursework and having to pay to retake them. They both studied and studied, but the truth was, their passions lied somewhere else. Henry resented taking philosophy. "…and everyone on my course is so pretentious!" he would complain as Natalie smirked. "I'm not pretentious Nat! Not compared to these assholes anyway. These guys are obnoxious!" Natalie had just let the stress of academic life beat her down, just like it had Henry. The truth was that they both longed to be writers and composers.

Natalie turned around again to look at Henry who had a serious look on his face, a desperation in his eyes.

"I love you!" He mouthed. Natalie didn't turn back round this time, instead she just stared back ignoring the people behind her that were getting frustrated with her constant shuffling. She took a deep breath.

"I love you so much Henry!" She whispered, even though he couldn't hear from across the room, knowing he would read her lips.

The music made them jump, the ceremony had ended. People began clearing out. Henry was still sat as he looked to his left to see Dianna had gone. Natalie made her way to Henry and kissed him. They sat silently holding hands as the room cleared.

"Natalie Goodman, Promise me something" Henry said calmly.

"What?"

"When we get married, it won't be in a shitty tacky registry office" Natalie laughed and placed her head on his shoulder, just like her mother had done twenty minutes before.

"Deal Snow" She smiled squeezing his hand.

Throughout the dinner and the speeches, Dianna was nowhere to be seen. Natalie, Henry, Dan and a few other relatives sat bored on a table nearest the top table, making it impossible for Natalie to be able to sneak off and look for her mother. As soon as the main reception began and the music was blaring, everyone was up off their seat and dancing, Natalie and Henry decided this would be a good time to look for Dianna. Dan was left sitting on a table gloomily with his 4th drink of the day, talking to Dianna's parents.

Henry and Natalie had searched the whole hotel, even running down corridors.

"I am about to give up, she can't be here"

"We should go check if her car is here. Maybe she is sat in it again"

"Of Fuck. She can't drive when she gets like this"

"She seemed ok Nat. She just seemed fed up of all the staring and bullshit"

"I can't blame her. No one here gives a shit or a thought about us. We get judged now we are here, but when i told them that we thought we were't coming they got so mad. I can't deal…"

"Nat!" Henry grasped both her shoulders and smiled at her. "It's ok. We are all that matters"

She took a deep breath. "I'm sorry…Lets just go check her car." She said relaxing a bit.

"Ok, i have to go pee first" Henry ran to the nearest bath room as Natalie sat against the wall of the hotel, not wanting to spend another minute on the heels she was wearing.

"Erm…Nat" Henry peered from the mens bathroom door. "You might want to come in here."

Natalie scowled. "Are you fucking serious Henry?"

"I don't mean….Just come in here" He tried to say in a hushed voice. Natalie got up and quickly looked around before dashing into the mens bathroom. Inside, a door was ajar, thick smoke coming out of it letting off strong fumes.

"Look who i found!" Henry said in a fake enthusiastic voice.

"YOU WIN!" Dianna yelled, laughing and pointing at Henry, a joint in her hand. "Are you having a nice Marryin'?" Dianna giggled looking back n forth at them both.

Natalie stormed into the cubicle and grabbed the joint out of her hand hand and flushed it.

"It was medical" Dianna nonchalantly said, watching the joint spinning round and round, drowning, until out of site forever.

"Are you going to go back in there or are you going home?" Natalie raised her voice, speaking to Dianna like an angry mother would speak to their dysfunctional teenager.

Dianna composed herself as best as she could and looked at them both. She placed a hand on each of their faces, smiling sadly at them both.

"You two are so perfect." Henry smiled sadly back at her and Natalie just looked confused. "Why the fuck are you still here?" Dianna finished, and turned and walked out the mens bathroom and back into to the wedding.

Natalie and Henry stood in the bathroom, taking in what had just happened.

" Well….she's done worse i guess" Natalie shrugged. Henry laughed looking at Natalie. " Ahh, we were that age once" he joked. Nat and Henry had both given up that habit a long time ago.

"What do you think she meant 'still here'" Henry asked.

Natalie sighed. "I really don't know. But….."

"But what?" Henry looked at Natalie intensely. He had been thinking about it for a while…..but it was too crazy. Immature and romantic, but it wouldn't work….Did she…?

"….Nothing" Natalie sighed and made her way into his arms. Henry was silent._ 'Should i tell her what i was thinking? Should we…? Now is the right time. Better then any. I'll ask her now.'_

"I dropped out!" He blurted. '_FUCK, i should have asked her!'_

"Henry!" Natalie pulled away, still gripping his arms, so she could look at his face. All she could see was terror and distress.

"I'm sorry Natalie, i just could't take it. I'm not as strong as you when it comes to that sort of pressures, i can't cope, but i feel awful, i was supposed too…"

"HENRY!"

"…Support you, i want to be able to look after…"

"HENRY!"

"….You, and if we have children i want to look after…"

"HENRY!"

"..them, you deserve so much better, i don't want to be a lose.."

"HENRY!" She shut him up by kissing him, her eyes filled with tears the size of raindrops.

Henry had begun to tear up as well, a single tear sliding down his cheek, as he tried to hide it getting embarrassed by his weakness. "I'm sorry" He whispered.

"I was thinking about it too." Natalie whispered back, then both holding each others faces lightly, whispering to each other. "I hate college. I hate the people who are just interested in partying. I wasn't going to go back"

Henry took deep breaths. He felt almost relieved that Natalie had done the same, but he also wanted the best for her and college was a good route to 'the best'.

They stood there in silence, holding onto to each other, occasionally whispering "I love you."

"So whats our plan" Natalie sniffled, letting out a bit of a giggle at their blubbering.

"I did have one, but its childish. Something 15 year olds would do."

"What?" Natalie whispered, her face buried in his chest.

Henry took a deep breath. He felt a rush of confidence through him.

"We could make our lives on the road"

Natalie took her face out of his chest and looked at him, still clinging round his waste.

"Run away with me."


	2. Nothing is perfect

Dianna and Dan sat on a table alone, Dianna playing with the ribbon of the table pieces out of boredom, Dan starring at her hands conjuring something, anything up to say. Dianna's eyes were not on him, they were across the room in the other corner. Natalie and Henry sat close together, talking so close they were almost forehead to forehead. Dianna smiles sadly at them and turns to Dan.

"They love each other so much." Dan can't smile at this. It's hard to see love in others when he has lost his own. He sighs looking at them.

"I sometimes forget to worry about her" He says simply. "i know that sounds awful, but its true."

"No." Dianna says giving him a small smile. "I get it. We get so caught up in our own lives, our own issues, we forget about her."

Dan looks down at his hands in guilt, then back towards Henry. "I should watch him more. I don't know anything about him. Not really. He seems like a nice kid, but…. I should protect her more then i…"

"He loves her" Dianna says, placing her hand on top of Dans. "I can tell. He's been there when she's cried and i'm too distracted with…." She pauses and takes a deep breath. Moments like these make Gabe come back to her, but not Gabe as a baby. Gabe as the teenager she had created in her mind.

"…He acknowledges her emotions before any of us see it." Dianna smiles.

"But how do you know. Really?"

"I haven't been much of a mother to her….But its mothers instinct. He's good for her." Dianna takes her hands off Dans and goes back to stare at Henry and Natalie who have disappeared from their table.

"Did you mean what you said?"

"What?" Henry says standing at Natalie's bedroom door as she sits on her bed ad takes off her heels. They had sneaked away early from the wedding.

"About leaving?" It wasn't some impulse thing was it?

Henry takes a deep breath and sits down next to Natalie.

"No. But… we should be rational about this." Natalie laughs at this.

"I don't think there is anyway to do it rationally Henry!" He smiles and takes her hands.

"Maybe…Maybe we should wait until you go back to college and if you still think you don't want to go, then we can leave. I don't want you to throw away what little we have left…"

Henry could see Natalie was starting to get frustrated. Her face was going red and she was becoming fidgety. He squeezed her hands tighter, letting her know that he is their to support her.

"I have nothing to throw away Henry! You are all i have left!" She was beginning to get teary. She takes her hands from Henry's and walks to the window, starring out at the night. She turns and faces Henry who is watching her, still sat on the bed.

"It's so lonely when you leave. Do you know that my dad hasn't asked about one of my grades. My mother couldn't even tell you what course i am doing. Do you know she sent me a happy graduation card this year?A year too late"

"Natalie i know. I know its hard for you but lets just try and focus on…"

"Henry please!" She sits on the bed and holds his face in her hands. "Don't!"

A few weeks go by and Henry and Natalie don't talk much about leaving. Henry tries to avoid the subject as much as possible, but it becomes hard when Natalie keeps hinting in every conversation. Natalie's anxiety is on the rise at this. Thoughts kept running through her head. _Does he not want me? Does he not want to live with me? Is he fed up with me? _These thoughts would usually go away as soon as she saw him again. There was no way he didn't want her. His face lit up every time he saw Natalie , as well as leaving her little notes and late night text messages telling her to stop studying or reading and to get some rest, followed by the usual 'I love you's'

Henry felt bad about avoiding the subject, but he was worried about Natalie. He was 100 percent sure that this was what he wanted and he knew it was what Nat wanted as well, but he wasn't sure if this was the best for her. Henry knew that Natalie could be just as amazing and strong without him and he knew that maybe she didn't really need him. She was strong and independent and he didn't want to hold her back from accomplishing all that she could. Despite this, Henry worked every hour he could at the small coffee shop in town. He wanted to make sure that if they did end up leaving, that he could support Natalie in every way. Natalie did the same. She took up two jobs, one at a restaurant and the other at a juice bar. Natalie knew that Henry would be all about her and she wanted to pull her weight. She felt awful every time he tried to pay for every meal or every outing. She knew he didn't mind, he always insisted, but it made her uncomfortable at times. She didn't want to be one of those girls. Henry knew that she wasn't, but that wasn't the point. With the both of them working, they rarely saw each other lately and usually ended up hanging out late at night.

One night, they were both lying on Henrys bed, music unreasonably loud for 2am in the morning, but not even this could drown out the sounds of Henrys parents arguing and by the time they had stopped arguing, they were both too exhausted to yell at Henry for having his girlfriend in his room at this time of the night. Most times they forgot they were there anyway. Nat sat on her front typing away on Henrys computer, both of them sat in silence together.

"So, i have just emailed my tutor and i have to confirm by next week if i am dropping out or not." Natalie says pleasantly, turning to Henry. Henry slowly lowered the book he was reading and looked over at her computer and then back to Nat.

"Ok." He said unsure. "I want the best for you. But only you know what that is. Just please think about it Nat."

Natalie closes the laptop and hands it to Henry. She gets into his bed while he just sits there waiting for her to reply.

"I'm emailing her tomorrow telling her i'm dropping out for good" She sits up and attempts a smile at Henry. She can see the worry on his face. "I am positive Henry. If this isn't what you want, i understand. I don't want to go anywhere without you. But even if we don't leave, i'm not going back." She lies back and climbs under the covers.

"Ok." Henry sighs. "Goodnight Nat." He kisses her head and lies next to her. A few hours pass by, the arguing has stopped, the music has been turned off and all Henry can hear is the light breathing of Natalie asleep next to him. He still has the laptop clutched in his hand. He slowly opens it to find the email still up from Nat's tutor. He opens the form Natalie is meant to fill out and starts filling it in himself. If Natalie wasn't going to go back, he could't make her, but he could protect her in case everything went wrong. He started typing;

_I have decided that i will not be carrying on with my studies this september, instead i intend to return in January to start my second year of college. This will give me time to prepare for my studies._

He pauses and hovers over the send button. He closes his eyes and clicks and opens them to find the green little tick, informing him that the message has been sent. He turns off the laptop and sets it down, then climbs back in the bed next to Natalie. She fidgets next to him and lays her head on top of Henrys chest. He attempts to sleep, but sleep doesn't come. The guilt of going behind Natalie's back keeping him awake. He tries to relax knowing that he has done what he thinks is best for her, but he knows she will eventually find out when she goes to send an email to her tutor and the thought of Natalie being upset with him is too much.

Natalie is sat at the kitchen table. It was a day past the dead line date that she was supposed to inform her tutor of not returning, and she had not replied. Henry never told her that he had replied for her, and the guilt was eating away at him. Dan and Dianna walk down the stairs and into the kitchen. They walk to the fridge together and kiss, giggling like kids. Natalie drops her spoon in her cereal and looks up at them both. " What the fuck is going on?" She chokes.

They both look at her, arms around each other.

"Natalie" Dan smiles, looking at Dianna and back to Natalie. "Your mother is moving back in with us"

They both grin at her as if it is the most exciting news Nat has ever heard. Nats face goes red and she gets up, her appetite gone from the news.

"So i haven't seen my mom since the wedding, i didn't know you two were speaking, i didn't even know you were here last night, but now we are supposed to act like everything is fucking fine?"

The smirk disappears of their face, a linger of happiness on Dianna's as memories start to come flooding back to her.

"We are going to give it another try, but we were talking about what is best for you and we think maybe you should think about…."

Henry is sat in his room, lying on his bed listening to the arguments coming from his parents bedroom. His mothers cries make him cringe and all he wants to do is stop his dad from shoving her around, but he had tried this many times before and he usually ended up getting hit and thrown out for weeks on end. He could hear his dad screaming at his mother to get out of "His" house. He could hear his mother sobbing as she emptied all her belongings into black trash bags. He heard his dads angry footsteps come across the hall and burst into his room, making him jump.

"You as well" He screamed at him. Shock ran though Henry. He had not said anything to his dad in months, not interfered in any arguments, he had only comforted his mother when his dad wasn't around, tried to stop her crying, tried to get her to eat something. His mother nervously and timidly walked into his room, her face blotchy and red from crying.

"Come on sweetheart." She said taking his hand as if he was four years old and hugging him. She held his face and said " I'm going to stay in your grandparents summer house in Tampa. I'll be near my sister and my family. Your brothers will come and visit us. We can get a late night flight tonight sweetheart" She kisses his head and pulls away to see the shock on his face. His father is shoving piles of his stuff into bags and throwing them down, then storms out the room and slams the door shut.

"I'm sorry sweetheart, but we have to leave, Your dad won't let us stay here anymore and i have to be around my family."

"Mom" Henry chokes in shock. "I can't."

She takes a deep breath, knowing that this was coming. "Sweetheart, we need to leave. You can't stay here. He won't let you. You can come and visit Natalie any time…"

"Mom, i can't leave! She needs me here."

"Where will you g…"

"I promise i will come see you soon mom. I swear, just give me a few weeks here." Henry takes a deep breath.." To say goodbye to Natalie and i will…"

"Where will you stay"

"Don't worry mom" She kisses his forehead and they both grab their stuff as fast as they can. Henrys mother gets in her car before kissing his cheek and telling him she loves him and to call her twice every day and leaves. Henry gets in his car, throwing in his key board, guitar, his books, his bags and bags of belongings and drives.

Natalie shoves everything she can find into trash bags angrily, as Dan and Dianna stand outside her locked door.

"Natalie you are over reacting, be mature about this." Dan yells from outside the door.

"This is bullshit" Natalie shouts angrily.

"We didn't mean to upset you, it was just a thought, we feel it might help things get back on track…"

Natalie shoves open her door and faces Dianna and Dan with bags in her hand.

"You don't give a fuck about me" She cries barging past them.

"We don't mean now. We just think you should think about it. Stop Natalie"

"You come back here after being together for a week, both of you don't speak to me for months, even after i have seen you, dad, on a daily basis and now you ask me to move out because it might help your relationship. Fuck this!"

"It was just something for you to consider" Dianna tries to say soothingly.

"Did any of you give a thought to how this effects me?" Natalie turns to them. They both look at each other and look down in guilt. The truth is, they rarely think about Natalie in any of their decisions.

Henry pulled up to Natalie's house as she runs in the car and throws all her stuff in the back. Dan and Dianna watch them drive away. Natalie looks at Henry. She can see that he had been crying slightly and strokes his face lightly for a second, as he carries on driving. Henry looks at her and sadly smiles, he can see the tears in her eyes as well. They both sit there in silence, knowing that they have all the time in the world to speak now and that silence is the best for both of them at this point. Henry takes a hand off the wheel and reaches for Natalie's. Henry drives and drives, until 2 hours go by.

"Where are we going?" Natalie speaks, breaking the silence. They have both calmed down and just feel happy to be beside the one they love the most.

Henry gives a nervous laugh.

"No idea!"


End file.
